Method of manufacturing iron sulfid.



- slag,

UNITED snares PATENT OFF'IC NAPOLEON G. PETINOT, OENEW YOAK, N. ASSIGNOB TO UNITED STATES ALLOYS CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IRON SULFID.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NAPOLEON G. Pn'rmo'r, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Manufacturing Iron Sulfid, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, various methods of manufacturing iron sulfid have been employed heretofore. One

method was that of heating together, at a a mixture of three parts high temperature,

two parts of sulfur in a covered crucible. Another method was to heat together, a mixture of iron disulfid and iron filings in a crucible until the whole mass was fused. Still another was that covered by United States Letters Patent No. 1,169,093, issued to me on January 18, 1916, which consists in heating, in anelectric furnace, pyrites orecontaining silicious or other impurities suflicient to produce a and suflic'ent iron toform ferrous sulfid, according to the following equation:

FeS +Fe=2FeS While. the last mentioned method of manu facture is better than any heretofore employed, I have found that a considerable quantity of sulfur is lost by vaporization, in spite of the protecting blanket of slag, which is formed during the working of the furnace. Moreover, the operation of the furnace is not continuous, because after the charge is fused and the chemical reaction referred to above is completed, I must tap the furnace so as to draw off the ferrous sulfid, and also the slag, and then introduce a fresh charge.

In producing my invention, I have sought a to overcome the disadvantages above enumerated and to provide a process which shall be continuous.

Moreover, my method is such, that the sulfur (whichis ordinarily lost) is conserved and utilized as 'a reducing agent, thus making the method very economical.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to use iron pyrites with a mixture of oxid of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 7, 1917. Serial No. 153,174.

'mentary state.

however, that one of the distinguishing fea-.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

iron in such proportions, that, when the mixture is fused, reaction occurs between its constituents. by any one of the following equations:

purpose in view. The mixture is fused in'an; 7 electric furnaceof preferably the Siemens This reaction is represented pe. 3 I I I When the mixture is fused, the reactionoccurs as indicated above, and the iron sulfid- (FeS) accumulates in the bottom 'of; the

crucible, while the fused mixture of pyrites and iron oxid that still remain in their unreduced condition at the top of the furnace, form a pseudo-slag. When sufficient iron sulfid has accumulated in the crucible, it is tapped without shutting down the furnace.

.The furnace may also be charged without stopping the process, thus making the method of manufacture a continuous one.

While it is true, as indicated by the reactionsshown in the equations given above, that sulfur is lost in the form of S0 it is to be noted that this sulfur has a useful function as a reducing agent. In my present invention, this sulfur removes the oxygen from the iron oxid, whereas, in the invention of my previously mentioned patent, the sulfur is lost by vaporization and, therefore, performs no useful work.

While I have described the use of iron oxids in my process, it will be obvious to metallurgists that I may use any form of oxids, such as mill scale, which scale may contain a certain percentage of metallic iron. When such oxids are used, the mixture may be modified by introducing an excess of iron pyrites, so as to provide sufficient sulfur to combine with the iron existing in the ele- It should be understood,

tures of my invention consists in the utilization of a part of the sulfur of the iron E rites as a reducing agent, such sulfur comming with the oxygen of iron oxiris present. Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

a 1.- A method of producing iron sulfid which consists in melting together a mixture of iron pyrites' and iron oxid.

2. A method of roducing iron sulfid which consists in continuously charging into 10 an electric furnace, a mixture of iron pyrites and iron oxid, and drawing ofi from time meme to time the iron euifii, without interrupting the ooeration of the furnace.

3. method of pro&ucing iron sulfid which consists in melting together a mixture 15 of iron pyrites, metallic iron, and iron oxid, and utilizing a part of the sulfur of the pyrites as a reducing agent to combine with the oxygen of the iron oxid.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 20 signed my name.

NAPOLEON G. PETINOT. 

